Adobe and The Golden State Warriors Team Up to Stop Violence and Bullying

What does it mean to be a Peaceful Warrior? It’s what we’re asking youth as part of a project we’re working on with the Golden State Warriors, the Anti-Defamation League’s No Place for Hate, No Bully, Rise, and the Ad Council. The Peaceful Warriors Project is an anti-violence, anti-bullying initiative that reaches out to Bay Area students in grades six through twelve and asks them to think about peace in their schools and communities, and to use creativity to share their ideas through visual and performing arts.

A Summit on Peace

Last Friday we hosted The Peaceful Warrior Summit in Oakland, which brought together 300 middle- and high-school students from across the Bay Area. We talked about personal bias, anti-bullying behavior, speaking up and being a witness, and what to do when you see bullying.

Kim Chambers, Adobe’s community engagement manager spoke to the youth about her own experiences being bullied when she was one of 50 girls at an all-boys high school in New Zealand, and she connected with students over how tough it can be to handle bullying today: “With social media, bullying takes so many forms, and bullies often hide behind their phones and computers. Then other people join in and spread the hate, making the situation far worse. That’s why it’s more important now than ever to create a community that stands up for each other.”

Kim speaks to youth at The Peaceful Warrior Summit in Oakland.

After the talks, students joined us in the Creative Lounge, where they learned how to use Adobe Spark to share their own personal messages of peace.

“Creative expression is a really powerful outlet,” Kim said. “If you’re unable to share your story in words to let people know you’re being bullied, you can always express yourself through art. This can help you heal, and help others heal as well.”

Get Your Creativity Going, and Share Your Vision for Peace

As part of the Peaceful Warriors program, we’re inviting all Bay Area students in grades six through twelve to create an original visual or performing arts piece to answer the question: What does it mean to be a Peaceful Warrior? Students can also take the Not on Our Ground pledge, and interpret its meaning in their work:

I pledge to stand up to all forms of hate, bigotry, violence and bullying. I will not stay silent in the face of intolerance based on race, ethnicity, sexuality, gender, religion, ability or any other factor. If I see something, I will say something. I will work together with my neighbors to create safer, more inclusive communities for all.

Students who submit the winning entries will receive tickets to the Warriors’ home game on April 12, where we’ll feature their artwork. The deadline for entries is Friday, March 24, 2017 by 5:00 pm PST, and winners will be notified on Friday, March 31. Entries can be sent to NotOnOurGround@warriors.com or posted on social media using the hashtags #PeacefulWarriors, #NotOnOurGround and #IAmAWitness. Click here for more information on eligibility guidelines.

Not On Our Ground

The Peaceful Warriors Project is a part of the Not on Our Ground program presented by Adobe. Not on Our Ground focuses on stopping hate and bullying, and building inclusive communities by educating youth on the causes, impact and solutions around violence and bullying and encouraging people to be a witness and take a stand against hate, violence and bullying.

Take action by:

Spreading the word and inviting students in grades six through twelve to participate in the Peaceful Warrior Challenge by March 24.